A family-sized pasta recipe with seared ground beef, green bell peppers, onions and seasoned pasta folded into a velvety Philly-style cheese sauce.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- JUMP TO THE RECIPE
- WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT THE PASTA & SAUCE?
- WHY CHEEZ WHIZ?
- 6 COOKING NOTES WORTH READING
The best, Mandy?? Yep, it’s the best.
I said it. And I mean it.
This isn’t some Hamburger Helper knock-off of slop haphazardly thrown together parading around like a casserole. Every step of this recipe is very intentional and serves a purpose. And it is scrumptious!
INGREDIENTS FOR THE BEST PHILLY CHEESESTEAK PASTA
The instructions might be a little different than you'd expect but the ingredients are super simple. All you need is:
- Lean ground beef
- Green bell pepper
- Onion
- Salt & pepper
- Garlic powder
- Uncooked pasta
- Beef stock
- Cheese Whiz
- Worcestershire sauce
- Provolone cheese (optional)
WHY THE PASTA & SAUCE ARE EXTRA AWESOME
HOT PASTA WATER = MAGIC - and it's the secret to silky smooth sauces AND to getting the sauce
to really cling to the pasta. I won’t bore you with the science here but game-changing stuff happens on a molecular level. If
you’d like to learn more about it, I went into way too much detail
in the post for my
Spicy Sausage & Kale Rigatoni
recipe. PLUS the starches in hot pasta water really get along well with the fat and proteins in Cheez Whiz which means extra BONUS magic.
PASTA COOKS IN BEEF BROTH - we’re hitting this recipe with a double-whammy by A) cooking the pasta IN broth which adds more flavor to the pasta and B) gives us seasoned hot pasta water to make the sauce.
DREAMY LEFTOVERS - I can't explain how or why but the sauce completely resuscitates and comes back to life when reheating leftovers. Usually leftover pasta soaks up so much of whatever sauce it's in when refrigerated so when reheated, the pasta (while delicious) will be a little on the dry side. BUT NOT THIS STUFF! I was pleasantly surprised when I reheated some of this in the microwave a few days later because the sauce was silky again and there was plenty of it.
WHY CHEEZ WHIZ?
Most – not all, please y’all, let’s not fight – again, MOST cheesesteak aficionados will tell you a traditional Philadelphia cheesesteak is made with Cheez Whiz. When in Philly, the cheesesteaks I’ve had have all been made with it, although some places have an option with provolone too.
I used Cheez Whiz with this recipe to make it taste like what a Philly Cheesesteak tastes like to me and also because it makes a helluva good sauce (see section above which explains why).
OK, THEN WHY’D YOU ADD PROVOLONE?
There are two reasons I added a little provolone to finish the recipe (which is optional btw). One is that I like that little bit of “stringy cheese” factor it adds. The other reason is to offer a compromise to the folks who prefer provolone on their cheesesteaks.
If you like the idea of adding a little stringy/gooey white cheese, mozzarella would be great too! You could add slices of fresh mozzarella, sprinkle on shredded or dot the dish with mozzarella pearls and let them melt while the dish rests at the end.
6 NOTES ON COOKING PHILLY CHEESESTEAK PASTA
- It’s very important to cook the beef over HIGH HEAT and get a nice sear. The char you should get will taste and feel like the steak in a cheesesteak sandwich.
- Use LEAN ground beef (90/10 sirloin is best if you can find it). We don’t want to have to drain the pan drippings because of all the flavor but we also don’t want there to be too much fat.
- I used cavatappi pasta in the batch pictured here but have used penne and bowtie in the past. Just about any bite-sized pasta will work.
- Beef stock is my preference for cooking the pasta but broth or bullion will work too.
- You will need a very large skillet to assemble this recipe. If your skillet isn’t big enough to hold everything, finish the recipe in a stock pot.
- Use more green bell peppers and/or onions if desired. One each does a great job flavoring the dish but they don't stand out visually. If you love peppers and onions, add more! Mushrooms would be a GREAT addition to this as well.
MORE PASTA RECIPES FOR SUPPER TIME
CAJUN PASTALAYA - A flavor-packed Cajun pasta recipe made with sausage and chicken – like jambalaya but with noodles instead of rice.
SPICY SAUSAGE & KALE RIGATONI - A rustic, 30-minute pasta recipe of Italian sausage and kale with a simple but unbelievably delicious sauce.
HELPFUL HAMBURGER STROGANOFF - A family-size recipe for ground beef stroganoff that’s quick, easy and surprisingly delicious!
EASY SHRIMP WITH PASTA - An easy pasta recipe with seasoned sauteed shrimp, your favorite pasta sauce and fresh parmesan that's ready in 30 minutes.
CREAMY ITALIAN SAUSAGE & PASTA - A super simple pasta recipe made with Italian sausage, cream, tomatoes, spices and parmesan cheese.
Recipe for The BEST Philly Cheesesteak Pasta
The BEST Philly Cheesesteak Pasta
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 12 oz pasta
- 4 cups beef stock
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 15-oz jar Cheez Whiz
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 4-6 slices provolone cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over HIGH heat. Add ground beef, salt and pepper then break up meat just so that it covers the bottom of the skillet. Let beef get a good, browned sear on the bottom before stirring or moving to the next step. 1.5 lbs ground beef, 1 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp salt
- Add bell pepper, onion and garlic powder then cook and stir over high heat until beef is cooked through. Turn off heat. Leave the drippings in the pan unless there is excess water – if so, pour off standing liquid. 1 bell pepper, 1 onion, 1 tsp garlic powder
- While beef is cooking, prepare pasta and sauce.
- Bring beef stock, water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Add pasta then cook one minute less than manufacturer’s instructions for al dente preparation. Ladle out 2 cups of hot pasta water/stock then drain pasta. 4 c. stock, 4 c. water, 1 tsp salt, 12 oz pasta
- Add reserved hot pasta water/stock to saucepan (same pan you cooked the pasta in) then bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Turn off heat then stir in Cheez Whiz and worcestershire sauce. Whisk until smooth then pour sauce into skillet with beef. 2 c. pasta water, 15 oz cheez whiz, 1 tsp worcesterchire
- Cook beef mixture with sauce over medium heat until bubbling. Fold in cooked pasta then continue to cook and gently stir for 2 minutes.
- If adding provolone, chop cheese slices into small pieces then stir into pasta. 4-6 slices provolone
- Remove from heat, cover and let dish rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- It’s very important to cook the beef over HIGH HEAT and get a nice sear. The char you should get will taste and feel like the steak in a cheesesteak sandwich.
- Use LEAN ground beef (90/10 sirloin is best if you can find it). We don’t want to have to drain the pan drippings because of all the flavor but we also don’t want there to be too much fat.
- I used cavatappi pasta in the batch pictured here but have used penne and bowtie pasta in the past. Just about any bite-sized pasta work.
- Beef stock is my preference for cooking the pasta but broth or bullion will work too.
- You will need a very large skillet to assemble this recipe. If your skillet isn’t big enough to hold everything, finish the recipe in a stock pot.
- Use more green bell peppers and/or onions if desired. One each does a great job flavoring the dish but they don't stand out visually. If you love peppers and onions, add more! Mushrooms would be a GREAT addition to this as well.
- Other questions are likely answered in post above recipe card.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
488.7Fat
19.36 gSat. Fat
11.07 gCarbs
35.58 gFiber
2.2 gNet carbs
33.47 gProtein
35.97 gSodium
1284.11 mgIron
3.18 mgCalcium
310.57 mg
This. Is. AWESOME! Definitely will make this again. Made it as written except I swapped the Worcester sauce for soy because I am allergic to it. Didn't notice any difference. It was delicious! Thank you for sharing.
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